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Wildlife / Re: Swallows'25

« Last post by chrismahon on July 12, 2025, 07:25:46 am »

The nest is immediately underneath the steel roof and a shade would be complicated. I really don't want to encourage them to be there because I have arc welding jobs to do regularly and can't while they are- it would blind them.

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Wildlife / Re: Swallows'25

« Last post by doganjo on July 11, 2025, 11:58:06 am »

We had a noisy pair nest in the garage, for the first time since we have been here (8 years). It was always going to be risky with a steel roof which can reach 56C in Summer- you need to wear a hat to work in there. So the two chicks hatched, which unfortunately coincided with a heatwave with outside temperatures hitting 40C. They both died the same day and the parents removed them from the nest and then disappeared for a week, returning today. I'm hoping they don't try again.

  Is there any way you can help them?  A shade of some sort?  I guess water is scarce so a sprinkler is impossible

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Coffee Lounge / Re: Relocating to Scotland / Orkney

« Last post by doganjo on July 11, 2025, 11:54:05 am »

Try to look for a series called This Farming Life - made in Scotland - BBC 2.  Very down to earth about good times and dreadful ones.
It'll give you a good insight into farming up here - its popular so is now in Series 7

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b094mqlx

First episode here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b073h49f

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Wildlife / Re: Swallows'25

« Last post by Fleecewife on July 09, 2025, 11:40:08 pm »

That's really sad too, chrismahon 

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Sheep / Re: Bottle Jaw Advice

« Last post by twizzel on July 09, 2025, 07:19:05 pm »

Best to get vet to look, we cannot diagnose over internet and if it’s something like haemonchus you need to treat it fast.

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Sheep / Bottle Jaw Advice

« Last post by Amcla1234 on July 09, 2025, 02:33:46 pm »

Hi everyone I have an older heb ewe who came for her feed with swelling under the jaw it was gone the next morning and hadn’t returned for a week so I presumed a sting of some sort today it has reappeared she’s fine in herself good colour eating ect is bottle jaw possible or am I looking at something else?

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Land Management / Re: Thistle management with herbicide

« Last post by Penninehillbilly on July 09, 2025, 03:04:18 am »

I've been using a Ragfork for thistles, time consuming but satisfying. I had them down to just a few, but couldn't do it for a couple of years, as bad as ever this year. I try and let butterflies and bees have a go at the flowers, then get them before they seed, so timing is critical.
I don't like the idea of using weedkiller where animals graze, unless no option. (Spot treating to reduce the rushes. :-(. )

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Wildlife / Re: Swallows'25

« Last post by chrismahon on July 08, 2025, 10:31:39 am »

We had a noisy pair nest in the garage, for the first time since we have been here (8 years). It was always going to be risky with a steel roof which can reach 56C in Summer- you need to wear a hat to work in there. So the two chicks hatched, which unfortunately coincided with a heatwave with outside temperatures hitting 40C. They both died the same day and the parents removed them from the nest and then disappeared for a week, returning today. I'm hoping they don't try again.

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Wildlife / Re: Swallows'25

« Last post by Fleecewife on July 07, 2025, 01:45:50 pm »

Our swallows, 3 pairs are doing fine, newly fledged chicks zooming about happily.
Not so good for the house martins.  They arrived back safely and this year built a wonderful, strong nest.  One chick fell out and died the day it hatched, but others hatched successfully, lots of cheeping coming from the nest.  Then a couple of days ago, the nest was on the ground, ripped apart, presumably by a woodpecker or similar, and the chicks were gone, parents too.  The parents came back today, all happy and chirping again, but it must be too late for them to start again, as they would have to build a new nest.  This pair have had no luck raising young, but this year their nest was so good we thought they would be successful.
We need to think up a new plan to protect them from predators next year.

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Announcements / New diary post: Flossies egg / Gala / Cooper

« Last post by TAS Bot on July 07, 2025, 08:07:14 am »

A new TAS diary entry has been posted: Flossies egg / Gala / Cooper